Green Messenger Information Pack 2011
Welcome to the Green Messengers Team! Thank you for volunteering as a Green Messenger at this year’s Leeds Festival. We look forward to promoting the green message with you. Your involvement will help to drastically reduce the amount stuff that gets thrown in landfill, by encouraging people to recycle cans and bottles, compost their food waste and take their camping gear home or to the donation points. This year, we have two arrival dates, Tuesday 23rd and Wednesday 24th August. Green Messengers’ headquarters and camping will be in the Staff camping area.
Arrival (Blue Gate) Registration: Briefing Meeting:
Arrival (Blue Gate & Yellow Gate) Registration: Briefing Meeting: Shuttle bus from Yellow to Blue Gate
Tuesday 23rd August 2011 23/08/2011 – 10am – 6pm 23/08/2011 – 10am – 6pm 23/08/2011 – 8pm Wednesday 24th August 2011 24/08/2011 – 10am – 6pm 24/08/2011 – 10am – 6pm 24/08/2011 – 8pm 24/08/2011 – Running from 10 am to 1pm
Tuesday 23rd – from 10am to 6pm - GMs arriving by Public Transport will take the 770 bus to Blue Gate. 1. The 770 service runs from Leeds Bus Station to Blue Gate. 2. Once inside Blue Gate GMs will need to wait in the far corner of the Terry Lug Farmyard out of the way of the reversing trucks etc. They will be met there by Maxine and Jake who will escort them either on foot or via minibus if available to the staff campsite. 3. The 770 bus service does not then run on the Wednesday once the festival shuttle buses start. - GMs Arriving by car through Blue Gate and straight into the staff car park to park and meet Maxine or Jake there. Wednesday 24th – from 10am to 6pm - GMs arriving by Public Transport – Yellow Gate - GMs Arriving by car – Blue Gate through immediately to the staff car park to park and meet Maxine or Jake there. - * Minibus arranged from 10am to 1pm to take GMs to the Staff Campsite If you are travelling by public transport on Wednesday you will arrive at Yellow Gate, you should make you way to the Guest Box /office to be wrist banded, before making your way to staff camping. You will not be allowed through the site unless you are wrist banded. You will then have to make your away across the site to the staff camping area. We have arranged an onsite shuttle bus to take Green Messengers from Yellow Gate to Blue Gate on Wednesday 24th. This will run from 10am to 1pm. This will be the only slot of time the minibus will be available to take you across the site. Please be aware there is a long walk from Yellow Gate to the Staff Campsite so we advise you to turn up between those hours! If you are arriving by car you need to let us know in advance so we are able to organise car parking passes. Places are limited and without this pass you will be unable to access the parking. You will arrive at blue Gate and should make your way to the Green Messenger Camping in Staff Camping, where a supervisor will meet you and you will be wrist banded.
YOUR SHIFTS The first thing that we need to tell you is that shifts are allocated randomly based on your team preference and where possible we have kept you with friends you may have asked to work with. Details of your shifts will be given onsite. If there are any major problems with your shift allocation please discuss it with your supervisor. You will be required to be onsite by Wednesday the 24th August at 6pm at the latest, please let us know if you will not be able to make this time so we are able to discuss possible alternative arrangements. ARRIVING ONSITE Once you arrive onsite stewards will be able to direct you to the Guest box office or the staff camping area (depending on where you are arriving.) in order for you to be wrist banded. You will not be able cross the site until you are wrist banded. Travel information to Leeds is available from the website. http://www.leedsfestival.com/2011/info/travel_and_directions TRAIN STATION/BY SHUTTLE BUS/DROP OFF If you are travelling by train or bus, there will be frequent shuttle buses running from Leeds City Railway Station and Leeds Coach Station to Bramham Park regularly on Wednesday 24th. They will continue throughout the day to meet demand. We have arranged an onsite shuttle bus from Yellow Gate to Blue Gate/staff camping from 10am to 1pm on the Wednesday. This is the only time we are able to help you move across the site. Once you have been wrist banded it is quiet a walk from Yellow gate to the staff camping area. BY CAR If you are travelling by car you need to make your way to Blue Gate. This area will be very busy during Tuesday and Wednesday so please make your way straight to the staff parking. The stewards will direct you to where you need to go. Obviously you will be free to move and camp at the public campsite with your friends, but make sure you do not loose your tabard or wristband and to come on time to your shift. ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORT Remember we are trying to promote a Green festival and help to make a change to our environment. Please think about how you will be getting to the festival and try to use a method of transport that will reduce your CO2 impact. Obviously not all methods of transport are suitable so if public transport just does not work for you then there are other options: Car sharing is a great way to reduce your CO2 impact on the environment, if you fill up the seats. It allows you to meet fellow members you will be working with during the festival from around your area. If you are not sure how to meet other Green Messengers then visit our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Green-Messengers-Leeds/219430938076501 or add Green Messengers as a Friend and ask around for people from your area. Alternatively you could also visit http://gocarshare.com/ and find travel mates. SAFETY FIRST o Please note that all arrangements you make are private arrangements between you and other sharers. Big Chill Festival does not arrange car sharing or haven any liability to or for lift sharers. o Make sure you know the identity of the person or persons you are sharing with. o Having a home telephone number is sensible precaution and make sure you leave details of the car share, the driver and passenger’s number (s) and home address if possible with friends and/or family. o Take your mobile phone with you.
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If you are uncomfortable with any arrangements or the condition of the vehicle being used, then make other plans. If a vehicle is not taxed it is possible the driver has not driving license, no insurance and no MOT. Safety first: trust your instincts and use common sense.
There are good train services to Leeds Railway station from all major cities. To buy tickets follow the link below. http://www.thetrainline.com/buytickets/?
WRISTBANDS AND REGISTRATION When you arrive on site (Yellow or Blue Gate) you will be met by either Maxine or Jake, who will register and wrist band you. You will be signed onto the festival, so that we know you are onsite. You will be issued with a crew wristband, which you are entirely responsible for. If any volunteer is found deliberately messing with or exchanging their wristband they will have their passes and wristbands taken from them, and they will be removed from the festival. You will not see your deposit again either… CAMPING You are responsible for bringing your own camping equipment and gear, clothing, food, drinks and money. We will not be able to provide a secure area for the storage of any of your possessions; please do not bring items which are valuable. You do not need to bring an iPod to a festival – think of how much music you are going to be getting when it starts! Do not make yourself a target. You will have a dedicated camping ground in Staff Camping, which yes, includes hot showers. Any friends who are not Green Messengers will not be allowed to camp with you. We prefer you to camp in your allocated spot, however if you really want to be with your friends, you can do so in general camping. You will need to arrive on the Wednesday before 6pm at the latest to set up camp. A team briefing will follow at 8pm. If you think you will be unable to arrive on site by this point on Wednesday, please email us at greenmessengers@festivalrepublic.com to discuss alternative arrangements. Please note that there are many safety guidelines for camping, please take note of these and camp in a safe manner. It goes without saying – take your entire camping gear home with you or pack it up and donate it!!! WHAT TO BRING • All your camping gear and the usual personal items you need when camping. • Clothes for hot and dry and cold and wet, plus everything in between. Do not forget, even if it is raining, you will still be doing your stewarding duty. It may be worth popping an umbrella in too. • Sturdy covered footwear. Even if it is hot and dry, you are required, for health & safety reasons, to wear covered footwear when you are on shift. So if you do not want to wear your wellies in the heat, bring something else. Remember, you will be doing a lot of standing so you need to have some really comfy shoes. If you do not bring the appropriate footwear this will lead to you being unable to complete your shifts, and will compromise your deposit. • Sun block, chapstick for your lips, in case it is windy. And maybe a funky green hat? • A refillable water bottle, big enough to last your shift. And snacks! • Please only bring environmentally friendly body wash and shampoos. • A butt bin if you are a smoker. Please note you cannot smoke on shift! • PHOTO ID. • Gas canister are banned for the public, however crew has permission to use them. But remember that you cannot bring the gas ganister through public gate.
FOOD There is staff catering in the staff campground, but you need to pay for this. Please feel free to use this, bring your own food or use the normal food traders’ onsite. There are many different varieties of foods available from traders on site – from baguettes to burgers, baked potatoes to noodles, falafels to vegan delights, pancakes to pizza… there is something for everyone! WEATHER Please note that most forecasts done in a 7 day advance are not necessarily accurate – even if you think it is going to be sunny, it may rain down like there is no tomorrow. Come prepared. Ensure you have wellies and waterproof clothing for wet weather and sun cream for days when it is going to shine down. Too many festival goers suffer from sunburn and dehydration, as well as the exact opposite, when this can be easily avoided with suitable preparation. And did we mention socks? You might not realise it, but socks are a life saver at any festival. They keep you super warm when it is freezing outside, not to mention are a necessity when it starts raining and water gets in your shoes/wellies… WORKING As festivals crop up all over the UK, it is our responsibility to make environmentally sustainable decisions that will not only encourage music lovers, promoters, organisers and industry members to make a stand in protecting our environment, but to ensure that each year we are providing music and entertainment in an environmentally friendly way. The Green Messengers work in all the recycling initiatives at the festival. You will be doing some or all of the following tasks; • • •
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Hand out bin bags to people on arrival. Tell the campers about the recycling initiatives, especially promoting the idea of packing their camping gear down and taking it home. Be stationed at the sets of recycling bins throughout the campgrounds telling people what bin to put their recycling in. You will be armed with a litter picking stick and if necessary you will have to pick out the wrong stuff that gets thrown in the wrong bin when you are not looking. You may also do some litter picking around the roadway your bin is stationed on. Daytime shifts only. Be at the Recycle Exchange Points. You will receive bags of cans and other rubbish from the campers. We are also looking at a way of collecting up all the trashed metal chairs, so you may end up on that duty too. Be part of our Compost Crew. These will be highly sought after arena jobs, so volunteers will need to jump through a few hoops to get this role. The Compost Crew will roam around the arena with a handy hoop and a litter picking stick working as mobile compost bins. This is so people do not have to sit in each others' squished kebabs and also so we capture the estimated 70% of compostable waste produced in the arena ends up as compost and not as methane puffing out of a landfill. OK, so not such a glamorous job, but you will get to see and hear the bands! You will be promoting the option of packing down their gear and donating it to our Tent Recycling points/Donation Points on Monday morning. Staffing Donation points on the Monday morning. Working in the sorting area to re-pack all the donated gear. Salvaging and scavenging good quality re-usable gear that is left in the campsites, to go to charity and community organizations.
Main responsibilities of salvage groups: • On Monday morning you will be going out to staff our donation points throughout the campsites. You will have big white builder’s bags which different stuff will go into different bags: TENTS, SLEEPING BAGS, ROLL MATS, CLOTHES, FOOD, CHAIRS, COOKING EQUIPMENT, WELLIES. • Some stewards will be stationed out at the bus stop and in the car park to collect wellies left standing, body-less! • Should you see anyone burning or setting tents or fire, inform your nearest supervisor immediately. This is not just an environmental risk – it is a health and safety issue, and should tents be camped near each other, there is an even bigger risk of a fire spreading. • You will be required to help the sorting and clearing of tents and packing them up. We will have teams out in the campgrounds blitzing the fields. Those of you that love tatting are going to have a ball! We will give you big square cement bags which you can fill up with all sorts of goodies you find. TURNING UP FOR YOUR SHIFTS Please ensure you turn up 10 minutes prior to the start of your shift – this is to ensure you can sign in on time. Any late attendances will be noted, and could affect your deposit (please see Deposit Information). When you arrive and receive your wristband, you will also be allocated into a team and a supervisor. At the team briefing you will work out the sign in and sign off location for your shifts. It is your responsibility to ensure you turn up to your shift with everything you will need – including the appropriate clothing, food, drinks, etc as you will not be able to return to your tent until the shift has finished. UNIFORM You will be able to wear whatever you want to this festival and this job. You will be provided with a green tabard (vest) at your registration when you first get to site. This tabard is then your responsibility until you sign it back in with your supervisor after you have finished your last shift. Please ensure that you take good care of these tabards. Each one is numbered so we are able to keep track of all Team Recycle stewards. Please do not swap tabards with anyone – we log the numbers of the tabards, and should any incidents or issues crop up with your number, we take them all seriously, and you could find yourself being kicked out of the festival, your wristband removed, and you will not receive your deposit back. If you end up camping in general camping, please sign your tabard back in after each shift with your supervisor, as you do not want to have it go missing from your tent. When you sign for your tabard, please ensure that your tabard number is correct with our records. If you lose your tabard you will be charged £15, which will be deducted from your shift deposit refund. You will also be armed with a litter picking stick; please take care of it because from lost litter picker £ 8 will be deducted from your shift deposit refund. YOU ARE REQUIRED TO WEAR COVERED, SUITABLE STURDY FOOTWEAR WHILST WORKING. If you do not bring the appropriate footwear this will lead to you being unable to complete your shifts, and will compromise your deposit. I’VE FINISHED MY LAST SHIFT…SO WHAT NOW? Sign out with your supervisor. Do not forget to run through the hours you have worked, and ensure that any directions for lateness/absence or other issues regarding how long you have worked with the supervisor working with you before you leave. If you do not do this, you may compromise getting your refund back. Make sure you hand in and sign back in your tabard, litter stick or anything else that you have signed out.
RECYCLING INITIATIVES We have a number of recycling initiatives in places at Leeds this year as we want everyone who attends the festival to help us keep it green, it does not matter whether that be a volunteer, contractor, artist/performer and of course the lucky ones who do not have to work whilst at the festival. Below is an outline of some of the green initiatives we will be carrying out this year. More information can be found Leeds Festival website following the link below; if you get chance, have a look over this before you arrive onsite. http://www.leedsfestival.com/2011/info/green_leeds WASTE SEPARATION We will be operating a three bin system across all our festival this summer; As a Green Messenger you will be a big help in this initiative. COMPOST, RECYCLE and LANDFILL
IN THE COMPOSTING BINS? • • • • • •
Coffee cups (not the lids) Food scraps (meat and bones are ok) Paper and natural fibers Food plates and bowls (paper and non-plastic) Wooden or potato starch cutlery Napkins
IN THE RECYCLING BINS? • Aluminium Cans and metal food cans • Plastic bottles • Other plastics, check the bottom to see if there is a recycle symbol. • Glass bottles and Jars (although these should all be confiscated on entry) • Newspapers, Magazines and beer Cartoons ( if wet put in the compost) • ABSOLUTELY NO POLYSTYRENE!!!
IN THE LANDFILL BINS? • Crisp packets • Coffee cup lids • Straws • Plastic shopping bags
PINT CUP DEPOSIT – We will try this year again to get about every cup to go for recycling rather than being left in the arena for you to wade through and then to end up in landfill. So you will pay a 10p deposit when you buy your drinks in cups over the bars. You will get back the 10p when you return your cups to the refund points. Last year more than 90% of the cups were returned! YOUR CANS COUNT AND NOW YOUR PLASTIC BOTTLES TOO! When the punters bring a bag full of cans or mix plastic bottles to the Litter Exchange points they will receive a free can of beer…as simple as that. COMPOST CREW All the cutleries from the traders are compostable. We will have a team based in the arena who will steward the compost, recycle and general waste bin sets and to try to collect all the food packaging and leftovers as well as recyclables from the audience, rather than it being thrown on the ground where it will end up in landfill.
You will be given an full and detailed briefing about all the activities you will undertake once you arrive onsite. Should you have any further questions about the recycling systems or any other tasks, please talk to your supervisor.
HEALTH, SAFETY & HAZARDS MOBILE NUMBERS You need to provide us with your details before you turn up. There will be occasions where your manager or supervisor will need to contact you, and so a working mobile phone number must have been supplied with your application. If you have not yet provided it, you need to do so immediately before you arrive on site. NEXT OF KIN Once again, if you have not done so, tell us immediately. This information is an extremely important part to your application. We need to know who to contact in case of emergency. OFFENSIVE/ABUSIVE BEHAVIOUR Should you act in an offensive or abusive manner towards any other employee, your employer or visitor at the festival you will be removed from the festival site. Should anyone act offensively or abusive towards you during your shift you must notify your supervisor immediately, or the nearest security supervisor. DRUGS It might be rock and roll to some, but we take this issue seriously. Drugs – whether on a festival site or in the ‘real world’ are illegal, and they will not be tolerated.
TRADING Trading in any form, of anything, is not permitted at any of our festival sites. The following information forms part of a standard Health and Safety policy. Health and Safety is a joint responsibility between the festival organization and you. We have assessed possible hazards that may be encountered during a days work and produced the following guidance, some formal and some more practical. Before you can start work you must understand and agree to adhere to the following procedures. Please make sure that any questions you may have about Health, Safety & Hazards are addressed at, or directly following the briefing. INCIDENTS & SAFETY Please note that should you witness any incidents, or need to report any incidents, you must do so as swiftly as possible to your Supervisor. You will also need to contact your supervisor if you have any problems on site, or cannot attend a shift. They are your first point of contact for your position. Details of who your supervisor is and how to contact them will be given to you in the briefing when you arrive onsite. GENERAL SAFETY RULES • • • • • • • •
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All Green Messengers should be aware of, respect, and adhere to the rules and procedures contained in this policy statement. All Green Messenger stewards shall immediately report any unsafe practices or conditions to the relevant authority. Any person under the influence of alcohol or any other intoxicating drug, which might impair motor skills or judgment, whether prescribed or otherwise, shall not be allowed to work and may be evicted from site. Horseplay, practical joking or any other acts, which might jeopardize the health and safety of any person, are forbidden and may lead to eviction from the site. Any person whose levels of alertness and/or ability are reduced due to illness or fatigue will not be allowed to work if this may jeopardize the health and safety of that person or any other person. Green Messengers shall not adjust, move or otherwise tamper with any electrical equipment, machinery, air or water lines in a manner not within the scope of their duties, unless instructed to do so by a senior member of staff. All waste materials must be disposed of carefully and in such a way that they do not constitute a hazard to other workers No Green Messenger should undertake a job which appears to be unsafe.
No Green Messenger should undertake a job until he or she has received adequate health and safety instructions and is authorized to carry out that task. All injuries must be reported to the Director of Safety or a delegated representative. The accident book is held within the Production Office. All accidents and ‘near-miss’ incidents should be reported. Your Green Messenger Supervisor is your first point of contact for this. Green Messengers should take care to ensure that all protective guards and other safety devices are properly fitted and in good working order and shall immediately report any deficiencies to the supervisor or the Director of Safety. No Green Messenger should use chemicals without the knowledge required to work with those chemicals safely. Suitable clothing and footwear will be worn at all times. Personal protective equipment shall be worn wherever appropriate. Covered footwear must be worn whenever on duty.
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT • Green Messengers must use all personal protective equipment provided to them in accordance with the training and instruction given to them regarding its use. • Green Messengers who have been provided with personal protective equipment must immediately report any loss of or any obvious defect in any equipment provided to their direct supervisor.
SHARPS (NEEDLES) If you come across a needle, you should secure the area (keep a person there to mind it) and ensure that no one can be injured. Then contact your supervisor who will call the cleaners. They are experienced in handling sharps. You are not to touch any needles. MANUAL LIFTING AND MOVING • Mechanical devices, rather than manual handling should always do the lifting and moving of objects, wherever reasonably practicable. The equipment used should be appropriate for the task at hand. • The load to be lifted or moved must be inspected for sharp edges, silvers, and wet or greasy patches. • When lifting or moving a load with sharp or splintered edges, gloves must be worn. Gloves should be free from oil, grease, or other agents which might impair grip. • The route over which the load is to be lifted or moved should be inspected to ensure that it is free of obstructions or spillage, which could cause tripping. • Team Recycle stewards should not attempt to lift or move a load, which is too heavy to manage comfortably. • Where team lifting or moving is necessary one person should act as coordinator, giving commands to lift and lower. • When lifting an object off the ground Green Messengers should assume a squatting position, keeping the back straight. Loads should be lifted by straightening the knees, not the back. These steps should be reversed for lowering an object down to the ground. REQUIREMENTS AND RESPONSIBILTIES OF A GREEN MESSENGER Requirements: • You have to be over 18 years old. • You need to have provided us your name, birth date, National Insurance number, banking details for shift deposit refund, next of kin information & contact number, your mobile number and email address before you arrive on site. • You will need to have provided us a shift deposit for £234. • You need to provide us with your full commitment at the festival. • You will be required to work a total of 24 hours over the days specified. • You will be required to work and communicate in a friendly manner, spreading the green message. Responsibilities: • Have a good understanding of the recycling initiatives that are happening on site to make this festival more sustainable. • Be punctual and act appropriately and safely at all times. • Dress appropriately and wear your tabard at all times when working. • Work with other green messengers in your team, and your supervisor. • Undertake specific duties where required as part of environmental projects. • Be helpful and friendly at all times. • • • • •
Call for assistance where required. Report any potential health and safety hazards/issues to your supervisor, security or waste team. Be alert at all times. Report to your supervisor at the beginning and end of each shift. Report any of the following to your supervisor: o Antisocial behavior or anything which would be seen as a potential threat to the well being of the public, festival staff or festival site. o A build up of litter in any area.
STANDARD RESPONSIBILITIES AS A MEMBER OF THE FESTIVAL TEAM •
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When starting and throughout your shifts you should be in a mental and physical state to perform the responsibilities you have been allocated i.e. having slept well and not being under the influence of either alcohol or illegal drugs. Anyone found to be under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs when on duty will be evicted from the festival site immediately. Report any potential fire hazards or suspect packages immediately to your supervisor. You are part of the public face of the festival. Awareness and knowledge on your part in regards to the environmental aspects and sustainability of live events inspires confidence in the public – both in you as an individual, and in the organization of the festival as a whole. At the end of your shift you will need to see your supervisor who will sign you out for that shift.
GENERAL INFORMATION Should you have any queries in regards to hotels, disability facilities, on site facilities and amenities, lost credit cards and mobile phone contact numbers, passes information, bus and train information, and much more, then you should be able to visit any member of the CAT teams who has been provided with this information. Please use the site map to ensure you know where your nearest toilets, lost property areas, gates, fire points and emergency exits are. Please enjoy the festival, enjoy meeting people including colleagues and the public, and enjoy spreading the green message!! ADMINISTRATION BIT DEPOSIT INFORMATION You will have provided a deposit of £234 which is refundable (except for the £9 PayPal fee) once we have accounted for all your shifts. Should you decide not to turn up to your shifts, to turn up late or leave early, to not sign in or out, or to not behave responsibly during your shifts, you will not receive your deposit back. WHEN WILL MY DEPOSIT BE REFUNDED? We aim to have returned your deposits, if you have completed all your shifts, one month after the festival. This may seem like a long time, but we’ve got hundreds of Green Messengers and other volunteers who we have to process. If for some reason you have not had a refund on your deposit, or are unsure if you did complete all your hours that were scheduled, please email greenmessenger@festivalrepublic.com If there is a situation where you are not able to attend one of your shifts you should let your supervisor know immediately, with the reason as to why you are unable to attend. These will be noted and included on your sign in/off sheet. Your deposit will be returned to you via bank transfer. When we received the deposit, we asked for the account number, name and sort code off in order to reimburse you with this refundable deposit. If you have not sent this yet, please do so before you arrive onsite.
WHY HAVE I NOT RECEIVED MY REFUND? Our supervisors keep a record of all shifts allocated and completed – the reason you may not have received a refund is because you did not complete the shifts allocated to you. You should ensure you pay attention to all the information throughout this booklet to ensure that you will receive your deposit back. You will receive an email after the festival (hopefully within a week of the end of the show) to confirm you completed your shifts and that your deposit refund will be processed. Alternatively you will receive an unhappy email saying you will not be getting yours back, and why. We take the information provided to us from the supervisors to refund those that have completed all their work. Ensure you see your name and shift signed off. If it’s not signed off we will assume you have not completed your shifts. A tick is not enough. You must sign with your own signature.
FINALLY Please make sure you have provided bank details and a copy of ID, and next of kin details. Add us as friend on Facebook ‘Green Messengers’; we will be posting regular updates to keep you informed of any changes or things you may need to know. http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Green-Messengers-Leeds/219430938076501 If you have any questions or queries please get in touch: greenmessengers@festivalrepublic.com PLEASE PRINT A COPY OF THIS AND KEEP WITH YOU WHILST WORKING…IT MAY COME IN HANDY AND YOU WILL NEED IT TO SHOW THE STAFF AT THE GATES TO LET YOU ON SITE.